Published on 12, July, 2020
Can't quite get my head around the advice I was given today.
My son has Autism, wants to work, but no one will employ him because of his ASD and SEVERE DYSLEXIA. Can't work without significant support, which we are endeavoring to provide him ourselves because ATW have no clue about Autism and say they can't help him.
Yet Citizens advice advised that he should give up self-employed supported work; with a note from his GP to say he's not able to work unsupported, because DWP have messed up our notification of 'change of circumstance'!!!!!!!!!
Their is absolutely no way I'm asking my son to give up his 'Reason for living and only opportunity to contribute to society', just to appease the DWP!
What do these people want???????
Branded scroungers and lazy if you claim 'unfit for work' and advised to give up work if you have the desire, but no independent help or support; beyond your own family.
I've also been advise to attend court by CAB. When i tried to explain to CAB that as a carer of two on the spectrum, I have enough to contend with without having to go to court, he said he had no clue about ASD, but I should attend anyway!!!!! Really???????
How is this equality for those with disabilities??????
So B----y angry!!!!!
Sorry for the rant, but i'm at the end of my tether.......Teenager sobbing inconsolably and disillusioned with a world filled with ignorance. The other in tears over an accident he's had. A disaster of a day
Is this really the message we want our youth to embrace?
Guess we are off to court to contest this. What a waste of money and a demoralizing time all round. Haven't people with ASD got enough to contend with????
God what a dreadful day.:(
Hi Coogy,
Don't feel as though you are alone! The benefits and rebates systems are complicated and there are probably very very few people who understand it anywhere like as well as you do. This is one reason why they are bringing in theUniversal Credit according to
www.gov.uk/.../simplifying-the-welfare-system-and-making-sure-work-pays
(Of course they want to cut the bill as well and that means that some people will lose out and suffer)
Lessons learnt:
You survived and defended yourself well in court on your own - give yourself a big acknowledgement for that.
The justice system didn't simply trample over you. The judge did things properly. You have now won some time to get this sorted.
The people at the council were doing their job correctly.
Someone gave some bad advice and you got into trouble for that. People are human and the advisers on these helplines are not well paid and sometimes they drop the ball. Try and get them to quote actual regulations that you can check. Have you got them to admit their mistake in writing?
What to do next:
Try and spread the burden around. Don't take it all on your own shoulders. Declare your disability and accept the help that should come from that. Ultimately the council will run services to help people with disabilities (see the thread from MO4B - "geeeh I give up" for an example) and they should be helping to guide you through the maze of benefits.
Don't be hard on yourself and don't go overboard in thinking the whole system is useless. i.e. don't fall for a bit of black and white thinking. If you do your best then you should have no regrets.